EA Sports Subscription May Allow DLC Transfers

April 26, 2011Written by Tyler Minarik

EA Sports tends to release a sequel for most of their franchises every year to update rosters as well as game engines, but repurchasing the game and accompanying DLC quickly adds up and gets very expensive. It seems EA is aware of the issue, and a possible new subscription plan may provide a solution.

Recently an e-mail was sent to various users who have registered with EA Sports, detailing a subscription plan for EA Sports games as well as surveying gamers on preferred options which could be included. The official details of the subscription plan have yet to be solidified by EA, but the general layout is there, and it appears to be an interesting concept. It seems to be completely separate from the already implemented online passes we’re seeing in every EA game, instead providing other beneficial services. The most interesting points here are the ability to download games up to a week before they’ve hit official retail, and the ability to transfer previously purchased DLC to new games in the series. Currently the service is planned on being available for use with Madden NFL, FIFA, NHL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, SSX: Deadly Descents, and NCAA Football. See the image below for the rest of the details.

While this all sounds like it could be a good idea, it’s quite obvious that price will play a huge factor in how useful it actually is. The proposition of carrying DLC over to future sequels sounds great, especially when considering games like Tiger Woods that have near $50 in available DLC. A survey circulating indicates that EA is considering pricing anywhere between $15 and $35, which various combinations of features at each price point.

DLC has been rampant since the advent of consoles with hard drives and broadband internet, and it’s quickly becoming unusual for games to release without DLC accompanying them eventually. While much good has come of this, there’s also been a lot of backlash over games that appear to cut content for the specific purpose of releasing it later for an additional fee, or games that release DLC on the same day as their retail release. Thus, it was only a matter of time before an idea such as this was proposed, especially for franchises with new entries on an annual basis. However, while there’s plenty of potential for savings for gamers here, it’s also likely to ensure that all EA Sports games will have even more DLC going forward, to push more reasons to sign up for the subscription. What do you think of the new proposed plan, and if you’re interested, what would you be willing to pay for this service?